UNC

To no surprise, the Duke Blue Devils’ head into the 2017-18 season as one of the top ranked teams. You would think losing four players, three in the first round, to this year’s NBA draft would have hurt them. Instead, the Blue Devils brought in three of the top seven players among the Top 100 prospect list, as well as kept Grayson Allen for his senior year.

Barring injury, it looks like another National Championship banner could be headed to Durham. With all of Duke’s recent success, it got us thinking… do the Blue Devils have the best program in the NCAA?

Just going by the numbers, it is clear that no team in the modern era is even close to accomplishing what Duke has done, on and off the court.

To start off, let’s take a look at the five-time champions basketball résumé.

COACH KRZYZEWSKI & DUKE’S WINNING TRADITIONS

Before everyone freaks out about Duke being named a better program than UCLA, who won 10 titles from 1964 to 1975, let’s take a look back at the rules and regulations of that era. In nine of their 10 titles, UCLA only had to win four games during the NCAA Tournament. One thing that should also be noted, freshman weren’t even allowed to play varsity basketball until the 1972-73 season. In this past NBA draft, nine of the first ten selections were freshman. Imagine playing in a time in which some of the best players could not even step on the court? Players could not dunk the ball from 1968-1976. Not to mention the three-point shot wasn’t even introduced until 1986.

Let me say that one more time.

The three-point shot was not apart of the NCAA until 1986, thus proving that the game was much different, and not comparable to the one we see today.

Now that it’s clear the game really became official in 1986, let’s see how Duke compares to other major programs.

SCHOOL

# OF CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1986

DUKE

5

UNC

4

UCONN

4

KENTUCKY

3

SCHOOL

# OF NCAA TOURNAMENT WINS SINCE 1986

DUKE

90

UNC

85

KANSAS

79

KENTUCKY

76

CONNECTICUT

55

ARIZONA

54

MICHIGAN STATE

54

ADDITIONAL FACTS

Duke has had 11 National Player of the Years

Duke has made the National Championship 11 total times

Duke has made 16 Final Fours

Duke has made 20 Elite Eights

Duke has made 29 Sweet Sixteens

Duke has had 71 McDonalds All-Americans (Most in NCAA)

Duke has the Most Consecutive APR Awards (Most in NCAA)

Next Level

Duke has had 23 Lottery Picks (MOST in NCAA)

Duke has had 32 First Round Picks (MOST in NCAA)

Duke has had 10 Top Three Picks since 1992 (MOST in NCAA)

Duke has had Multiple 1st RoundPicks in five out of the last seven years

So how does one school stay on top, year after year? The answer: Krzyzewski.

The winningest coach in NCAA men’s basketball history, Mike Krzyzewski is clearly the most important piece to this storied university. His ability to lead, coach, and teach his players has made Duke a hot destination for upcoming freshman, year after year.

What makes coach K so special? He tries not to focus too much on the x’s and o’s. Krzyzewski builds relationships with all of his players. He constantly asks them about their goals, both on the floor and off. Coach K focuses on the “we” concept, which is vital in creating a championship team. When recruiting, he doesn’t just look at talent. In an interview with Entrepreneur.com, coach explained how “academic ability and character” are two major evaluation areas for all incoming recruits.

Photo Courtesy of (nytimes.com)

When a relationship is established, it is very easy to gain trust. “Without trust, you have nothing” says Krzyzewski in an interview with Championship Coaches Network. His .755 winning percentage in March can be credited to the type of environment he creates for his team. In that same interview, when asked about culture and how he deals with players failing, Coach K exclaims how it is essential to “create an environment where people can make mistakes without worrying about it too much.” He would go on to say that, in order to successfully lead a program, one must “empower your assistants and the leadership on your team (like the captains) to speak and express themselves.” Coach K trusts his players and gives them confidence, which creates his winning culture.

Another significant advantage is the fact that Krzyzewski has been the head coach of the USA men’s basketball team since 2005. In that span, he has gone on to win Olympic Gold medals in each of the past three Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016). As a high school kid, whose dream is reaching the NBA, there is no better coach to play under than the guy who has spent countless summers with the best players in the world. Not only does Coach K offer great leadership and mentoring to the pros, but he is also able to pick up on how they train, and what they do to be successful. This information is then transferred over to his boys, which is a clear advantage for the talented young men.

Off the court, Krzyzewski remains nothing short of spectacular. Each semester, he keeps copies of everyone’s syllabi, and is alerted each week on how the team is doing. He constantly checks in with his players and asks them about upcoming papers and tests, making sure they feel just as confident in the classroom, as they do on the court.

This type of leadership has done wonders for the boys in the classroom. For instance, it is nearly impossible to find a year in which multiple Duke basketball players did not make the All-ACC Academic Team. In order to qualify for this team, “a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career” (theacc.com).

In the Classroom

As we know, academics is a huge part of the university itself. Duke University holds a 9% acceptance rate, one of the top 10 schools with the lowest acceptance rates.

What does that mean?

It means that one of Coach K’s roles is to ensure that his players can obtain the education at the university with no problems. By the looks of it, he has established great success regarding his players and their transcripts.

The last two years, the Blue Devils basketball team has posted a total of seven NCAA Academic ACC All Americans: Grayson Allen (2), Chase Jeter, Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones, Amile Jefferson (2) and Marshall Plumlee. The highest amount among any ACC team. Not to mention that Grayson

Duke Basketball Grads IG: (@dukembb)

Allen was named an NCAA Academic All American. 2016 marked Duke’s 22nd consecutive year with at-least one player on the ACC all-academic team. To add, Duke holds a historical list of 91 total players on the ACC All Academic team. UNC stands in second place with only 57 players.

With that being said, Duke produces talent on the basketball court, and definitely in the classroom. Unfortunately, there are a plethora of other NCAA men’s basketball programs in which players are openly admitting to their tutors writing their papers, as well as constantly skipping out on classes. For example, in an interview with ESPN, Rashad McCants from UNC’s 2004-05 National Title team, he publicly announced his academic secrets by saying “he rarely went to class…and took bogus classes designed to keep athletes academically eligible” showing that his time was centrally focused on basketball. Or how about when Derrick Rose never took the SAT, instead having a friend take the test under Rose’s name. Rose went on to play at the University of Memphis, where John Calipari was coaching at the time. Now coaching at Kentucky, who knows what Calipari is allowing in his classrooms.

Let’s close the books and head back to the court. Cameron Indoor Stadium, home of the Duke Blue Devils, and the biggest homecourt advantage in all of college hoops. What gives Duke such an advantage? The Cameron Crazies.

“The Cameron Crazies”

Cameron Indoor Stadium: the wildest stadium among any NCAA basketball stadiums, and home to“The Cameron Crazies”. It’s safe to say, the Cameron Crazies affect each and every home-game. Their ability to remain standing the entire game with the same antics play-by-play gives Duke the full advantage.

“The rowdiest…best-organized college basketball fans in the land” Says ESPN.

Photo Courtesy of (syracuse.com)

A major leap from other college basketball programs is Krzyzewskiville, also known as “K-Ville”. For those unaware of this, “K-Ville” is one of the homes to the Cameron Crazies besides the stadium itself. It stands as a spot designated for the “Crazies” to camp out before games. Yes, camp out. They set up tents, move their dorm furniture in, and live there until game-time. Something unlike any college basketball fan-base. The “K-Ville” is the rowdiest during the UNC rival game. Students camp out for days, waiting for the tip-off of the biggest college rivalry matchup.

During the last eight seasons, the Duke basketball team has lost only eight total games at home. Can you guess how many they have won?

125 games.

Yes, this team holds a 125-8 record at home, during the last eight seasons. Four of the last eight seasons, the Blue Devils recorded undefeated home records.

Its obvious that this team exceeds at their home stadium. I mean, who wouldn’t with a fan-base like the “Cameron Crazies”? They have been known for their antics to rattle the opposite-team. In the past, they have thrown Twinkies at players who were considered overweight. They have also said “you’ll work for us one-day”, exhibiting the academic levels at Duke compared to other schools.

Senior Grayson Allen calls them “The Best Fans in the World”.

It’s no surprise that Duke will have yet another successful season. The history shows what this program is capable of doing.

This piece was a collaboration by Shane Leary and Jeremy Bhandari. You can ‘Like‘ The Game Haus on Facebook and ‘Follow‘ us on Twitter for more esports and sports coverage.

I’ll be honest. I am not as bold as Lavar Ball, who said his son, Lonzo, will be better than Steph Curry. What I will say is this, Duke’s Luke Kennard will mirror Steph Curry’s game in the NBA.

Background

Let’s start out with a little background on Luke Kennard. The soon to be 21-year-old, Kennard attended Franklin High School in Franklin, Ohio. As a junior and senior, Kennard was donned the Ohio Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year. Ohio is also, of course, where the great Lebron James played his high school basketball. Kennard, who averaged around 40 points a game during his senior year, finished ahead of Lebron, and second all-time on the Ohio High School Athletic Association career scoring list. Oh and by the way, he was also named the Division II State Offensive Player of the Year in 2013, but for football. As quarterback for Franklin High, Kennard threw for 2,331 yards with 26 passing and 4 rushing touchdowns. The craziest part is that he threw right handed, even though he is a left handed shooter. Yes, this dude is a total freak. The 6’6 athletic guard did not disappoint at the next level.

Kennard in High School during a game in which he dropped 59 points for Franklin High (wn.com)

While coming off the bench his freshman year, Kennard averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for the Blue Devils. Great numbers for a freshman off the bench, but Kennard had not been used to this type of role, as he has been the star player his whole life. After starting only six games during the regular season, Kennard started all of the ACC tournament, and NCAA tournament games. It was his past sophomore year that Kennard showed that his High School stats were no joke.

During his sophomore campaign, Kennard lead the Blue Devils in scoring at 19.5 points per game. He did this on 49% shooting, including 43.8% from deep. Not only did Kennard shoot the lights out, he also averaged 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game. These stats were good enough for Kennard to be named a consensus All American, as well as a unanimous selection for the All-ACC First Team. In three contests against the eventual NCAA champion, UNC Tar Heels, Kennard averaged 22.7 points, on 53.8% shooting, as well as grabbing 4 rebounds per game. His efficiency and ability to knock down shots are just two of the many reasons he will be a star in the NBA. Having coach Mike Krzyzewski for two seasons could have also helped a little.

Kennard vs. Curry

Now, back to the Steph Curry comparisons. One thing that must be noted is the fact that Steph Curry played at Davidson University, who have sent a total of five players to the NBA, none of course played with Steph. Kennard’s teammates, Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, and Franklin Jackson will all be selected in the first round of the upcoming NBA Draft on June 22nd. Not even named was Grayson Allen, who is staying for his senior year and will be a first round draft pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. My point is this, Steph had to be the guy or else his team would lose by 40. I am not taking anything away from him averaging 25 points a game over three years at Davidson, but during his junior year, Curry took 687 shots, which was over 200 more shots than Kennard had attempted this past year. Duke also plays in the ACC, which is far better competition that the Southern Conference, which Curry and Davidson competed in, before recently joining the Atlantic-10.

Curry during his time at Davidson University (Warriors World)

Surrounded by better teammates, and playing in a better conference, Kennard was able to match up very similar to Curry, who is arguably one of the best college basketball players of all time. Curry, who during his sophomore season averaged 26 points per game, shot 48.3% from the field, and 43.9% from three. The percentages almost identical to Kennard’s. They also both were able to shoot above 85% from the free throw line. I also believe Kennard will be a much better defender than Curry, mostly because of his quickness and the fact that he is 6’6”. All in all, both players can score at will. Kennard has shown he can get his shot off against anyone at any time because of his quick shot and athleticism, similar to Curry.

The Next Level

People might ask, what about the ball handling and ability to make plays like Curry? In a post draft workout interview with the Indiana Pacers, Kennard was asked if he thought he could be a playmaker at the next level. He responded with a confident “I do”, and why wouldn’t he? He has shown throughout his athletic career that he can virtually do anything.

In that same interview, Kennard also touched upon the spacing in the NBA and how the game has changed into more of a shooter’s league. To put it into perspective, the average amount of threes attempted in a game was 13 in the 1999-2000 season. This past year, it was 26 per game. We also saw the Houston Rockets break the record for most threes attempted in a season, as well as most threes made per game. This record will probably be broken as more and more teams have realized how valuable the 3-point shot truly is.

Not a bad league to enter if you are a sniper like Kennard, who shot over 44% from downtown. So where should he get picked?

Best Fit

In a league where teams are looking for guys who can stretch the floor and hit threes, Kennard is a perfect fit for essentially any team. Mock drafts have him at around 18th pick to the Indiana Pacers, which would be an absolute steal. If Kennard falls to the Pacers, it wouldn’t be the worst spot. The stadium is about two hours away from his hometown in Franklin, Ohio, and playing alongside Paul George would be extremely beneficial. Teams like Boston, Orlando, Dallas, Charlotte and Denver, who all have picks before Indiana, could really use a guy like Kennard. Not only can he be an immediate impact for these teams, but Kennard could thrive as all of the teams listed finished in the top half of the league in three point shots attempted during the 2016-17 campaign.

Of the top rated prospects, (Fultz, Ball, Jackson, Fox, Tatum, Smith, Monk), Kennard finished ahead of all of them in three-point percentage. Why draft a player who cannot shoot when teams are taking more deep shots than ever? In a league dominated by the three ball, Kennard is the obvious choice.

On June 22nd, we will most likely see a situation similar to when Johnny Flynn was drafted ahead of Steph Curry. With an already established shot, the confident and consistent Kennard will drop a lot lower than he should have. GM’s will be shaking their heads in the near future if they pass on Luke Kennard.

Featured image by Swarm and Sting.com

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The Final Four, one of the most celebrated and loved sports events of the year, is finally here. It’s safe to say this year is going to be just as good, if not better, than previous years. It might also be safe to say that not many people actually believed that these four teams would be here.

Out of the 18,797,085 brackets that were filled out for the ESPN bracket challenge, only 657 had Oregon, UNC, Gonzaga and South Carolina in the Final Four. That’s just 0.00003 percent.

South Carolina and Gonzaga are making their first Final Four appearances in program history. Oregon is also making their first since 1939.

Needless to say, UNC has the upper hand in terms of participation and experience. Roy Williams has coached a total of 520 minutes in the Final Four while Mark Few (Gonzaga), Frank Martin (South Carolina) and Dana Altman (Oregon) all have zero minutes.

Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Final Four matchups for this weekend.

UNC vs. Oregon

UNC is clearly favored by many to win this game and the championship because of their experience.

The Tar Heels are led by coach Roy Williams and ACC player of the year Justin Jackson. They will look to capitalize after their last-second victory over second-seeded Kentucky in the previous round.

The Ducks are led by senior Pac-12 player of the year Dillon Brooks and coach Dana Altman. They will look to keep their hot streak going after a dominant win against first seeded Kansas.

These two teams are very similar on paper. Each rank in the top 20 in offense and defense. UNC has one of the best transition offenses in the NCAA and the Ducks have one of the best transition defenses.

The one thing that may define this game is on the glass. UNC is the best offensive rebounding team in the NCAA. That doesn’t bode well for Oregon, who is one of the worst rebounding teams in the NCAA.

UNC may be the favorite here, but don’t be surprised if the Ducks make something magical happen. It could go either way.

Gonzaga vs. South Carolina

Well this is a first for both teams. It is a tale of two completely different stories: the underdog vs. the favorite.

South Carolina players celebrate their victory over Florida this past weekend to advance to the Final Four (Photo/ Maddie Meyer).

Gonzaga was a heavy favorite coming into the tournament as they are most years. They are led by head coach Mark Few, who became the third fastest coach to reach 500 wins in Division I history early in the tournament.

This game is going to be interesting because the Gamecocks and the Bulldogs preach defense. The Gamecocks defense ranks second in defensive efficiency in the country, and Gonzaga is first.

What many believe to be the deciding factor in this matchup is the offensive efficiency. Gonzaga is top 20 in the country while South Carolina ranks in the bottom portion of the country.

Gonzaga may have the best chance to win on paper. However, if we’ve learned anything from the history of March Madness, it’s that anything can happen.

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This isn’t the first name that comes to mind when talking about North Carolina basketball. However, it has been for the past 48 hours. Maye made the game-winning shot to send UNC to the Final Four, while simultaneously ending Kentucky’s season.

If you missed the last shot, you can watch it here. It’s well worth watching.

A quick recap: Kentucky comes down the court and Malik Monk hits a 3-pointer in Maye’s face to tie the game. Then Theo Pinson gets the ball up the court for UNC and pitches it to Maye for the last-second jumper. Rarely do you see two miraculous plays back-to-back like that, but it happened on Sunday.

There is normally discussion about Joel Berry II, Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks or Justin Jackson when talking about UNC. The avid watcher might recognize Kenny Williams or Theo Pinson as well, but not Luke Maye.

Maye madness

Luke Maye isn’t your standout player. The sophomore averaged four rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.4 minutes per game this season. He averaged 5.6 minutes per game as a freshman.

He might be average at the Division I level. However, he joined Christian Laettner and Scottie Reynolds on Sunday as the only players since 1985 to hit a game-winning shot to get into the Final Four. The kid even got a standing ovation at his 8 a.m. class on Monday.

Luke Maye shoots the game-winner for the Tar Heels on Sunday (Photo Courtesy of The Comeback)

His best game prior to the tournament was against NC State on Feb 15 when he scored 13 points and made 6 of his 11 shots from the floor. In other words, he hasn’t been consistently “killing it” for the Tar Heels.

However, he has picked the right games to show up for. Maye had a season high of 16 points against Butler and a new season high of 17 against Kentucky.

He might seem like the most unexpected player to win it for the Tar Heels, but Coach Roy Williams had him in for a reason. He shoots 41 percent from 3-point land (the highest on the team). He has only attempted 39 on the season, but he has made those count. He also shoots the fourth highest field goal percentage on the team.

It’s no accident he was on the court. It also isn’t a miracle he made the shot. Nonetheless, he is still a hero.

the tar heels are right where they need to be

As a team, this moment is everything that North Carolina has been working for. Marcus Paige hit a 3-pointer to tie the championship game last year, only for Kris Jenkins to come down and hit a buzzer beater to win it all for Villanova.

The Tar Heels are simply good at what they do. The are ranked first in rebounds per game (they pull down 43.7 per game). They also average 85 points per game (ninth overall) and dish out 18.2 assists per game (ranked third in Division I).

Roy Williams is confident in his team because they have the experience and the talent. This is their 20th Final Four, and they have all the reason to fight.

Isaiah Hicks was asked about their loss to Villanova last season, and he said: “We [were] four seconds away from that. Just to see your dream taken away right in front of you, that’s all the motivation you need. Of course nobody likes to lose, but that one, when you’re right there, all of us, we just need that second chance.”

Hicks and the rest of his teammates want that second chance. At this point, it is in their hands. Only Oregon stands in their way. The guys are playing some quality basketball and unexpected players like Luke Maye are peaking at the right time.

Catch all the action on April 1, 2017 at 8:49 PM ET on CBS.

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As Dick Vitale would say, “It’s tournament time baby!” I don’t know who is more excited, the fans or the players. Even if your team didn’t make it to the dance, there is still a lot to cheer for.

I know the term bandwagon fan carries a lot of negative connotation, however for bragging rights, you want to be cheering for the right teams. Now fair warning, these might not be the teams that have the best statistics or record. Half of the battle is figuring out how the bracket is set up, which has a large impact on how teams do rather if it is admitted or not. Here are the teams to root for if yours didn’t make the cut.

The underdog: Middle Tennessee State

The beauty of tournament time is that anyone can win on any given day. Pay attention to the season statistics but also expect the unexpected when the final buzzer sounds.

Middle Tennessee State is that Cinderella team that could get out of the first round and surprise us all. The Blue Raiders are 20-1 in its last 21 games and they only have three underclassmen. So if they want it to happen, this is the year to do it.

Their team is ranked in the top 50 for overall defensive efficiency. All four of their losses this season have been relatively close and they only allow 63.3 points per game (ranked 21st). Let’s not forget MTSU beat Michigan State last year and could very well do the same to Minnesota.

Giddy Potts of Middle Tennessee State (DNJ.com)

Giddy Potts is leading the charge for his talented squad. Potts is averaging 15.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. What makes him special is his work effort and ability to score at all three levels consistently.

He was named MVP for their conference tournament after putting up 30 points against Marshall. Potts is the guy who will hit contested threes, but burn his opponent with a quick first step if they close out too hard.

Potts may be getting buckets, but he isn’t out on an island. He has the help of JaCorey Williams who is shooting 54.1 percent from the field right now.

Reggie Upshaw and Tyrik Dixon are also contributing large minutes and statistics for the Blue Raiders.

After beating Minnesota, the Blue Raiders will take on either Butler or Winthrop. Butler is a good tournament team and known for upsets in the past, but Middle Tennessee State has proven to be a tough team.

Keep an eye on notre dame

The Irish have proven to be a wholesome team over the duration of this season. They are coming off a close loss to Duke which should propel them throughout the tournament.

The key to success for Notre Dame is sharing the ball. They are 37th in the nation for assists, averaging 16 per game. They have strength at all positions and when they share the ball, they can’t be stopped.

Bonzie Colson of Notre Dame (Photo Credit to Zimbio.com)

If Bonzie Colson is having a game for himself, Notre Dame is just as good as any team in nation. Duke may have won the ACC tournament but Colson put up 29 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a stellar performance.

Colson isn’t putting on a one man show though. Matt Ferrell is a special point guard dishing out 5.5 assists per game and shooting 41.3 percent from behind the arc.

The Irish are killer from behind the arc because of Ferrell and a few other key players. Steve Vasturia and V.J. Beachem are shooting over 36 percent from three-point range. This will be tough to guard for their opponents.

The Irish often are over looked when it comes to tournament time. Last year they made it to the Elite 8 and lost to UNC. This year they have a better record coming out of regular season play and more experience.

Arizona deserves a lot more respect than they’re getting

All of the talk regarding the PAC-12 has been about UCLA mostly because of Lonzo Ball and his father’s interesting comments. Most recently LaVar Ball said he could’ve beaten Michael Jordan in his hay day and his son is better than Steph Curry. One could see why the press would jump on that. UCLA is also ranked 78th in adjusted defensive efficiency according to pre tourney data (kenpom.com) which is a weakness for sure.

However the real team to watch from the PAC-12 is Arizona. They just won the conference tournament, and beat Oregon and UCLA to do so. They likely won’t see any true competition until the Sweet Sixteen if they play to the best of their ability.

Right now it’s the combination of Lauri Markkanen and Allonzo Trier that are making offense flow for the Wildcats. Markkanen is a freshman with the skills to play inside and out. Trier is basically doing it all from scoring and rebounding to distributing the ball. Both guys are shooting over 40% from behind the arc.

The team itself is highly efficient from three point and on offense in general. Their top five player of Allonzo Trier, Lauri Markkanen, Rawie Alkins, Dusan Ristic and Kadeem Allen are all shooting over 37% from three-point land. They are also all over 44% from the field. Not only that, they also allow only 65.4 points per game on the defensive end.

The west is a tough region but the Wildcats have the personnel to do some damage.

Iowa state could go far in the midwest

Lots of people are saying that Kansas has a cake walk to the National Championship game. Everyone seems to forget that Iowa State has gone 10-2 in its last 12 games including a road win against Kansas.

They beat Miami early on in the regular season. They only lost to Baylor by two early on, then beat them by three in late February. The Cyclones also beat Kansas in overtime in early February as previously mentioned. To sum up, they have the heart and the gumption to beat some high caliber competition.

Monte Morris flexes on the baseline after a big play (Photo Credits to YouTube)

The team itself is comprised of a bunch of guys who put up good numbers. They aren’t anything out of the ordinary, they just get the job done. Monte Morris leads the team with 16.3 points per game but the next few guys are all putting up anywhere from 12-16 points on average.

After a win over Nevada, they will likely see a very good Purdue team.

When it comes down to it, all the statistics in the world can only tell so much. March is the month of madness for a reason.

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Brice Johnson (right) seen walking off the court with Kennedy Meeks (left) after the National Championship. (Photo courtesy of USAToday.com)

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ offseason began very abruptly after Kris Jenkins took the pass from Ryan Arcidiacono and sunk the game winning shot. Just moments earlier, Marcus Paige made the shot that looked like it would define his career and live in college basketball lore for years to come.The future was extremely uncertain for the school and it began to materialize that perhaps they would have insult added to injury.

NCAA sanctions were not unknown to UNC. For quite some time they have been under investigation by the NCAA for an academic scandal involving academic courses. There were rumors that, after this prolific group of players left the school, they could be in for some penalties that would stunt the reboot effort by Roy Williams and Company.

Another event this off-season was the graduation of Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. These two seniors made major contributions to the program. Paige was one of the most talented distributors that the school has had in the past decade. Johnson, on the other hand, was a double-double machine averaging 17 points and just over ten rebounds last season. They were a huge part of the team’s road to the Final Four. However, they will be sorely missed as they have no remaining eligibility.

The unknown commodity enters when a discussion is started on players leaving early for the draft. Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks each made the declaration that they would at least look into the NBA Draft as a possibility for their future this off-season. The loss of both would leave the team with only one of its top five scorers in Joel Berry II.

Then, in mid-April, the school received a notice of allegations from the NCAA that surprised many. The men’s basketball team was not mentioned in the notice. This was quite unexpected from the NCAA and has many people questioning the reasoning behind it, especially after the school voluntarily submitted additional violations to the NCAA. In fact, the voluntary submission may have kept the school eligible for post season contention, due to the fact that it further delayed the investigation. Without that, we may have never seen the dramatic conclusion to this season in the title game.

Justin Jackson is a very dynamic player whose return is essential for the Tar Heels. (Photo courtesy of USAToday.com)

The next bits of good news come from both players that had originally entered the draft. Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson will each return to North Carolina. In Meeks, the school returns its second leading rebounder behind the graduated Brice Johnson. While Meeks is not as dynamic of a player as Johnson, he does bring a strong post presence and strength. His size is off the charts even after he has shed a significant amount of weight in the past academic year. Justin Jackson is a lanky wing player that brings some unpredictability to the Tar Heels game. His overall field goal percentage is good, but his outside shooting leaves something to be desired. This likely was a factor in his return, as the outside scoring left something to be desired in a transition to the professional level.

Jackson and Meeks’ return should benefit them in improving their games and the school in attempting a second straight run to the title game. Other notable returnees include, Joel Berry II, Isaiah Hicks, Nate Britt and Theo Pinson. Additionally, the Tar Heels have three more ESPN Top 100 recruits to supplement their roster. Tony Bradley will add some size down low to compliment and back up Meeks. Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson will add explosive athleticism as well as some shooting depth to help replace Marcus Paige’s production.

All in all, there was a lot that could have gone wrong for the Tar Heels. As is, it will be business as usual for the Tarheels. With their returnees, as well as the recruiting classes of Florida State and Duke coming in, ACC basketball will be quite interesting in the upcoming season. We still await a few draft decisions, that could shape the conference’s story for the year to come. However, the Tar Heels had a great outcome for the off-season that has prepared them for the next phase of the program.

Well well it’s the Final Four and what can I say? It has been a wonderful year full of upsets, buzzer-beaters, and blowouts. But I did call UNC being in the Final Four. As of right now, my bracket looks like it got hit by an 18-wheeler on the highway. But on Saturday, the games will start no matter how bad my bracket is. It will be the Villanova Wildcats versus the Oklahoma Sooners and the UNC Tar Heels versus the Syracuse Orange.

Here is how we got here. Let’s start with the Wildcats vs the Sooners.

Courtesy of AP

The Wildcats and the Sooners matchup in the tournament will be a rematch from an early matchup this year. In Hawaii, the Sooners crushed the Wildcats 78-55. But that game should not play in this Final Four matchup because the Wildcats went completely frozen from behind the arc. They shot 12.5% from the three, while their season average is around 35%. They also only shot 31.7% from the field, while their season average is closer to 47%. They will shoot the ball better in this game, I promise. But the Wildcat defense will have to find out a way to slow down the Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield. In this tournament, Hield has averaged 29.3 points per game. Easy to say that he is on a hot streak.

Prediction: It should be a great game because both teams are riding high since they both just beat 1-seeds in the Elite Eight to get here. But I am going with Oklahoma to win this matchup behind the play of the best player in the nation, the Senior guard from the Bahamas, Chavano “Buddy” Hield.

Now to the other matchup between the second ACC final of the year, Syracuse versus UNC. One team could have been the overall 1-seed while the other team might have been playing in the three-letter tournament. This matchup in the NCAA Tournament will be the 3rd time Syracuse and UNC have played this year. Syracuse lost both games but in Chapel Hill late in the season Syracuse played them close and only lost by 5. To easily beat the zone of Syracuse is to drive to the basket and pass to the wing for a three.

UNC has not been a great three-point shooting team this year at a season average of 32%, but during NCAA tournament play they are around 38%. While during this NCAA Tournament, the Syracuse zone has held teams to a 34% from the three-point line.

Bob Donnan/ USA TODAY Sports

Prediction: UNC goes for the third win against the Orange this year. They might not shoot well from three this game, but UNC will be able to finish in lane against this team with their big men. Brice Johnson and the other great UNC big men will feast down low against Syracuse on Saturday.

On Monday, it will be the two best players in the nation on the same court at the same time. Double-double monster Senior forward Brice Johnson of the UNC Tar Heels versus sharpshooting Senior guard Buddy Hield of the Oklahoma Sooners.

All of us college basketball fans learned something during the first weekend of the tournament. We learned that upsets will happen no matter how strong the top seed seems to be. We learned that no one is ever gonna be 100% correct during March Madness. Northern Iowa knows that no lead is ever safe during the tournament. But the really big take away from last weekend is that the ACC is the best college basketball conference in the nation.

During the first weekend the ACC, had the most wins by any conference in the nation. The ACC went 12-1 in the opening weekend. The only loss the ACC suffered was a Pittsburgh loss to Wisconsin. They are also sending a record six teams to the Sweet 16. No conference has ever done this. This is an incredible thing to see in this day and age of college basketball, where there is more parity in the game. The ACC had seven total teams in the tournament, and if Louisville was not on probation it could have easily been eight ACC teams in the tournament. In the Sweet 16 matchups, it is very possible that the ACC could have six teams advance to the Elite 8.

All 6 teams come into the tournament with different storylines. Let’s start with lowest seed left, Syracuse. Syracuse came into the tournament as one of the teams many say should not have been in the tournament. But they have proven so far that their patented zone defense is hard to deal with. And during this tournament they had to “upset” higher-seed Dayton. In the round of 32, had to beat Middle Tennessee, the team that beat Michigan State. Now in the Sweet 16, they will face 11-seed Gonzaga. Whoever wins that matchup will be the highest seed in the Elite 8 this year.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Next is Notre Dame. The Irish came into this tournament with a pretty bitter taste in their mouth. The last time they were on the court the North Carolina Tar Heels ran them off the court. So the Irish were hungry to reclaim glory to their name. The Irish got their real first shot at righting their wrong against 11-Seed Michigan. They beat the surging Wolverines to move on to the Round of 32, where they had to play 14-seed Stephen F. Austin. And it took the late game heroics of Rex Plfueger, to propel the Irish over the Lumberjacks. But next up for Notre Dame is another team of destiny, 7-Seed Wisconsin.

4-Seed Duke comes into this tournament after one of its most scrutinized seasons in a while, after one of the worst stretches Coach K has ever had with the Blue Devils. Even with a limited bench, Duke is here in the Sweet 16. The Blue Devils are highly dependent on the strength of their starting five, that includes one of the nation’s best players, Brandon Ingram.

(Photo: Winslow Townson, USA TODAY Sports)

3-Seed Miami has taken probably the hardest way to the tournament, but this team is definitely up to the challenge. The Canes were even underdogs to the 11-Seed Wichita State team and will probably once again be underdogs against the Villanova Wildcats. Miami G Angel Rodriguez and the Canes dare any “expert” to rule them out.

The two ACC number 1-seeds are still alive. UNC is in the East, and UVA is in the Midwest. UNC will have to fight it out with the historically great Indiana Hoosiers. And UVA will have to play the Iowa State Cyclones. These two matchups are very favorable for the two number 1-seeds. UNC has the height advantage over the Hoosiers and the Heels will force Indiana to cough the ball up. UVA will slow the pace down and make it hard for the Cyclones to get out in transition. The Cavaliers will key on Cyclones F Georges Niang and make the other players beat them.

Geoff Burke/ USA TODAY Sports

If the weekend works how the ACC wants it to, there could be an all-ACC Final Four, which would lock in the ACC’s second title in a row.

Looking at this matchup a few weeks ago when Duke was on course for a bad season, it looked like an easy W for the UNC Tar Heels but that is not case now. Duke is making a late surge and looking more like the Duke of old.

Grayson Allen and the Blue Devils are riding high after his thrilling and controversial buzzer-beater over a highly ranked Virginia team in front of the Cameron Crazies, but they will not have them tonight when they visit arch rival North Carolina at 9PM EST. Their Virginia win extends their win streak to four. During that streak, Duke beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta. They also beat rival NC State in front of the home crowd, and ranked Louisville and ranked Virginia in Durham.

Grant Halverson/ Getty Images

Grayson Allen has started to play better and improve over these four games. He is averaging a little over 22 points a game and the offense is running more through him. And along with Allen is freshman, Brandon Ingram, who has scored in double figures in the last four games and has two double-doubles in that span. On a very short bench, Luke Kennard has started to shine and give key production to the Blue Devils in the last three games, including a 26-point game against NC State.

But how will that young core stack up against a veteran Tar Heel team?

The Tar Heels team come to this game with a 2-2 record in their last four games. They lost two straight against Louisville and Notre Dame both away from the Dean E. Smith Center. They were also against the ropes against Boston College, but the team rallied and won after Coach Roy Williams collapsed on the court after a vertigo attack. Then after those three road games they returned to Chapel Hill to play host to the Pittsburgh Panthers and they won to the tune of 85-64.

This North Carolina team is lead by a pair of seniors, G Marcus Paige and F Brice Johnson.

In this four game stretch, Johnson has scored in double figures three times and also has recorded two double-doubles. Guard Marcus Paige has also only had one game without double figures in the point column. And has been a sniper from behind the arc, shooting little over 46 percent in the last four games and in the last three it is at 55 percent. In four games he has only shot under .500 once.

Ethan Hyman/ Charlotte Observer

The game in the Chapel Hill will be one for the books. The All-Time record is 133-107 in favor of the Tar Heels, but the Heels are looking for revenge because Duke has the latest win in the series.